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So I haven’t been super conscientious about keeping this updated since the New Year began… and I am now starting to write a couple of blog posts while we drive to meet the caterers for our wedding venue in Stellenbosch.

Life has been busy. We started going back to gym and eating healthy. Which means NO SUGAR. So I’ve had to be really strict with myself because I am really really addicted to sugary products.

My diet has consisted of rice cakes, cracker bread, fish paste, homemade fruit juice which is beyond amazing even if I do say so myself. Lots of fresh veggies and tuna. I’ve been trying hard (for me) for our wedding which is coming up quite soon at the end of March.

Most of our wedding invites are out with maybe 4 invites that must still be delivered. And of course I asked my darling fiancé to give them over…. And surprise it’s not yet done. I’ve had nightmares that on the day of our wedding I realise I hadn’t sent the invites out and have no guests attending!

I stopped reading over the holidays and I really missed it. I am a major bookworm and I love reading. I’ll read the back of a shampoo bottle if I’ve got nothing else to read and I’m bored enough.

I’ve just started the last book of Charlaine Harris‘sHarper Connelly series. It’s only a 4 book series and while it’s not as good as the Sookie Stackhouse series, it is still a really entertaining read. It follows a woman named… Harper Connelly (duh) who gets hit by lightning at 15 and is suddenly able to detect corpses as well as the method in which they died. Further plot twist … her older sister went missing and it haunts her as she’s never found the sister’s body. Now Charlaine Harris is a mystery novel writer and that pulls through to this series. I won’t give a full synopsis on the books just in case you’d like to read them for yourselves. Charlaine Harris has an amazing way of writing and I always get caught up in the lives of her characters. I still have a massive crush on Eric the Viking vampire from the Sookie Stackhouse novels… and I actually own the Sookie Stackhouse bookset with the exception of the last two or three books which is purely because I’ve been struggling to get them. Next I plan on owning the full True Blood series… in BLU-RAY 😉

Another of my favourite writers is PC Cast and I’m going to start rereading her books. Her writing gets me fully engrossed that I’m always sad to finish a book. Her stories are detailed and colourful and she tends to show an in-depth knowledge of the worlds and times she uses in the different universes of her novels and you can see she’s researched the stuffing out of her subject matter. As soon as I’ve finished one of her books I’ll be sure to put up a post here.

Next on the list is to finally finish Minerva’s Den, which is the DLC for Bioshock 2. (J just went over a massive bump in the road and I misspelled all my words *grrrrr*) I enjoyed Bioshock Infinite but I confess I could have played it better and put more effort into it. I did find the story unbelievably confusing and I just didn’t get the ending. I’ve been playing the Bioshock series in reverse. I started with Infinite, finished Bioshock 2 and will later try the first Bioshock.

And then oooh my favourite ultimate game… DISHONORED. J bought me the edition of the year and it had all these amazing extras in them so I am going to be replaying that game. I absolutely love Corvo and if ever I went and did a cosplay it would be Corvo in female form. That man is beyond sexy. Both my darling fiancé and Corvo 😉

Ok that’s it for now… still got a couple of beauty product reviews… Ooh RubyBox wait to be burned *growl*

Becoming a donor

If you’ve already made the decision to donate and can’t wait to get on with the business of saving lives, then contact us right now to find out where your nearest donation clinic is taking place. Make sure you meet our basic donor criteria, that you eat something within three hours before visiting us and that you bring your ID with you for identification purposes. See you soon!

Are you thinking of becoming a donor, but still aren’t convinced?

Research statistics show that although 75% of the population in the Western Cape might require blood transfusions in their lifetime, a mere 1.5% are blood donors. Doesn’t add up, does it? If you’re otherwise healthy, it’s very likely that you can donate blood and help balance out these numbers. With a single donation you could save three lives – and it won’t cost you a cent. Find out more by reading through our donor criteria, and then check when the next clinic is happening in your area.

Or are you a nervous needle-hater?

If you’ve never done it before, blood donation can seem a little scary. The good news is that many people just like you have overcome their queasiness and discovered that giving blood really is no big deal. In the greater scheme of things, is a quick needle prick really enough to prevent you from saving lives? Find out exactly what you can expect, from registration and donor recognition, right through to cookies and cooldrink. We’ve also put together a list of the questions we hear most often, along with their answers, on our FAQ page.

Who can donate?

Are between the ages of 16 and 65. You can still donate if you’re over 65 and are otherwise healthy, but we’ll need your physician’s consent. Read more about our Senior Citizens’ programme.

Weigh at least 50kg. In most cases, weighing less than 50kg means that you’re underweight, and it would therefore not be safe for you to donate.

Are medically healthy. Blood from a sick or medicated donor could impact negatively on the recipient. You will not be able to become a donor if you had jaundice or hepatitis after the age of 13, or if you’ve had cancer, heart disease, epilepsy, or a bleeding disorder. If you have questions about specific medications you might be taking, contact our Medical Sister.

Lead a safe lifestyle. Things that are considered risky include drugs, multiple sexual partners, and tattoos or piercings done in the past six months. For your own safety you won’t be able to donate blood if you are a competitive sportsperson training for a big event, or are involved in a hazardous occupation.

Are committed to helping others. Simple as that.

There are times when even the healthiest individual shouldn’t donate.

Before heading off to the clinic, read through our list of things that might make you temporarily ineligible to donate blood. If you’re unsure of whether or not you qualify generally or on a particular day, you’re welcome to contact us for clarification or ask the Medical Sister on duty at the clinic.

Health and Lifestyle questionnaire

The health and safety of our donors is as important as that of recipients, and so we have to make sure that you are not at risk when donating blood. We will ask you to complete a Health & Lifestyle Questionnaire each time you give blood, to ensure that you’re maintaining a healthy lifestyle and to determine your medical history.

Blood groups

Every person belongs to one of eight blood groups. These blood groups, or blood types, are sub-types of the four larger ABO blood groups – A, B, AB or O. The Rhesus (Rh) system further divides these four groups into either Rh+ or Rh-, leaving eight blood types: O-, O+, B-, B+, A-, A+, AB- or AB+.

The most common blood type in South Africa is O+, and the rarest is AB-. Which one are you?

The biology of blood

ABO blood grouping is determined by the correlation of visible clumping in mixtures of plasma, the liquid component of blood, and the red cells, which carry oxygen.

The Rhesus system, first discovered in 1939, relies on the presence of antigens – the D antigen in particular. Antigens are molecules that bind to an antibody. A person either has or hasn’t got the Rh factor (D antigen) on the surface of their red cells, indicating a positive (Rh+) or negative (Rh-).

Blood group compatibility

Not all blood types are compatible. This is due to the differences in antibodies that occur in different blood types. While blood group A individuals have naturally occurring anti-B blood group antibodies in their plasma, blood group B has anti-A blood group antibodies and blood group O has anti-A and -B blood group antibodies.

So, for example, if a blood group B patient is given blood group A, the anti-A antibodies in their plasma will destroy the red cells in the transfused unit and lead to severe complications or even death.

Universal donors and recipients

Blood group O individuals are known as “universal donors”. They lack A and B blood group antigens which makes it possible for their blood to be given to all ABO types.

AB+ blood group individuals on the other hand are known as “universal recipients”. They lack naturally occurring anti-A and -B and can receive all ABO groups.

Rare blood types

Occasionally an individual is born with an unusual, specific red-cell antigen, or without an antigen that is common to most people. These differences are recognised as rare blood types and are difficult to match with regular blood groups due to antibody presence.

That is why compatibility tests on the blood of the patient and the donor are essential before every blood transfusion. It ensures that the recipient will not experience an adverse reaction.

Which types are compatible?

The chart above illustrates that group O blood is the most versatile.

Curious about your blood type? Register as a donor, and we’ll issue you with a Donor Card stipulating your blood group.

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So Monday was Reconciliation Day. It was awesome. 2 of my sisters, Andrea and Michaela went to visit China Town.

We had fun but then again we always do. Andrea is 4 months pregnant and Michaela has just finished Matric. Our little brother Gabriel calls it the Sister Bond.

This is us goofing around at China Town

Gabriel slept over afterwards and man that little boy is so damn good. From calling my fiance “Baby” to telling me he needs to sweep my house because he’s sleeping over and telling me not to get funny over it. And even telling us our dogs had Boerewors Rolls and Samoosas in their ears.

Tuesday morning we took him to a park in Parklands and I managed to get this amazing shot of him climbing up through the tyres